Intro+Letter

February 8, 2011 Dear Ms. Cox,

Greetings! My name is Sarah Sell, and I am overjoyed to be working with you and your class this semester. I am a sophomore from Hillsborough, New Jersey with a double major in Elementary Education and Integrated Sciences and Mathematics as well as a double minor in Middle School Education and Mathematics. My aspirations are to someday teach middle school mathematics or to be an elementary school math specialist in possibly an urban or suburban setting. I believed what influenced my decision to become a teacher is the feeling of fulfillment one experiences when they support a child’s curiosity for learning and academic success. It may be a thankless job, but it is nonetheless the most rewarding. I am a member of the Student New Jersey Education Association (SNJEA) and Rider University’s Leadership and Development Program (LDP), a candidate for Kappa Delta Pi National Education Honors Society, and the president elect of Rider University’s Student Education Association (SEA). As you can see I am truly dedicated to a career in education and am very excited to learn all that I can from you and your students. I am fortunate to have had some practice in working with children of many diverse ages and educational needs up to this point in my academic career. In July of 2008, I was enrolled as an intern in the Urban Teachers Academy at The College of New Jersey. This two week intensive study of teaching practices and strategies in urban schools lead to the design and instruction of a math and science lesson with my classmates to Ewing summer campers. At my high school, I was enrolled in a child development and preschool elective. For the first half of the year I observed, assisted and taught a handful of lessons in a 3rd grade inclusion classroom. The second half of my senior year was devoted to operating and instructing 23 students in an hour and fifteen minute preschool. Recently, I participated in a ten week interactive observation of a 4th grade class in Lawrenceville. I also tutor weekly an eighth grade student in all subject areas and actively babysit children ranging in ages one to eleven. I look forward to meeting you and your class on Thursday and again thank you for this opportunity of gaining a greater experience and understanding of teaching. For any and all contact purposes, please feel free to email me at sells@rider.edu or call my cell phone at (908)-581-7544. Thank you for your time and have a wonderful day!

Sincerely, Sarah Sell